- Château Ramezay
-
Château Ramezay Established 1705 Location Notre-Dame Street in Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada opposite Montreal City Hall Type museum and historic building Website [1] National Historic Site of CanadaDesignated: 1949 The Château Ramezay is a museum and historic building on Notre-Dame Street in Old Montreal, opposite Montreal City Hall.
Built in 1705 as the residence of then-governor of Montreal, Claude de Ramezay, the Château was the first building proclaimed as a historical monument in Quebec and is the province’s oldest private history museum. It was designated a National Historic Sites of Canada in 1949.[1][2]
Over the years, the Château changed owners and functions several times, with Ramezay's descendants selling the manor to the fur-trading Compagnie des Indes.
Contents
Continental army headquarters
From 1775, it became the Canadian headquarters for the Continental Army when it seized Montreal. Benjamin Franklin stayed there overnight in 1776, while trying to raise troops to fight for the Americans in the American Revolutionary War.[3]
Governor's residence again
After the conquest until 1849 the house was again used as a governor's residence, this time by the British governors. For official purposes it was known as Government House and was the governor's official Montreal residence which complimented his other residence in Quebec City (the Chateau St. Louis), and a country retreat in Sorel.[4][5]
University building
In 1878, the building opened its doors to host Université de Montréal's first Faculty of Medicine.
Museum
The building was bought by the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Montreal and converted into an historical museum and portrait gallery in 1894.[4] Sir Andrew Taylor (Architect) designed alterations to the Chateau in 1895. [6]
Today, the museum's collection is composed mainly of gifts from private Montrealers and is estimated at 30,000 objects, including manuscripts, printed works, numismatic items, ethnological items, works of art, paintings, prints and furniture.
From 1997 to 2002, the Château Ramezay underwent indoor and outdoor restorations, including the creation of the Governor’s Garden, inaugurated in 2000. In 2003, the Château Ramezay Museum earned the National Award of Excellence from the Landscape Architects of Canada. It has greeted more than a million visitors.
References
- ^ "Château De Ramezay / India House". Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada. Parks Canada. http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/lhn-nhs/det_E.asp?oqSID=0652&oqeName=Ch%E2teau+De+Ramezay+%2F+India+House&oqfName=Ch%E2teau+De+Ramezay+%2F+maison+des+Indes. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ Château De Ramezay / India House. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ Burnett, Richard (2005-08-11). "The secret garden". Hour (Communications Voir Inc.). http://www.hour.ca/visualarts/visualarts.aspx?iIDArticle=6811. Retrieved 2008-04-12.
- ^ a b Wallace, W. Stewart (1948). "Château de Ramezay". The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II,. University Associates of Canada. pp. 39.. http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/ChateaudeRamezay-QuebecHistory.htm. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
- ^ Some Notes on Architecture, Interiors, and Gardens in Quebec 1831 L. A. Aylmer, E. A. Wylie Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology, Vol. 7, No. 2 (1975), pp. 2-8 Published by: Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1493491
- ^ www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/architects/view/1349 Sir Andrew Thomas Taylor (Architect)
External links
Coordinates: 45°30′31″N 73°33′12″W / 45.50861°N 73.55333°W
Topics of New France Subdivisions Acadia (1604–1713) • Canada (1608–1763) • Louisiana (1699–1763, 1800–1803) • Newfoundland (1662–1713) • Île Royale (1713–1763)Towns Acadia (Port Royal) • Canada (Quebec, Trois-Rivières, Montreal, Détroit) • Île Royale (Louisbourg) • Louisiana (Mobile, New Orleans) • Newfoundland (Plaisance) • List of townsForts Fort Rouillé • Fort Michilimackinac • Fort de Buade;• Fort de Chartres • Fort Detroit • Fort Carillon • Fort Condé • Fort Duquesne • Fortress of Louisbourg • Castle Hill • List of FortsGovernment Canada (Governor General, Intendant, Sovereign Council, Bishop of Quebec, Governor of Trois-Rivières, Governor of Montreal) • Acadia (Governor, Lieutenant-General) • Newfoundland (Governor, Lieutenant-General) • Louisiana (Governor, Intendant, Superior Council) • Île Royale (Governor, Intendant, Superior Council)Justice Intendancy • Superior Council • Admiralty court • Provostship • Officiality • Seigneurial court • Attorney • Bailiff • Maréchaussée • Code NoirEconomy Society Religions War & Peace Intercolonial Wars • French and Iroquois Wars • Great Upheaval • Great Peace of Montreal • Schenectady massacre • Deerfield massacreRelated National Historic Sites of Canada by location Provinces Territories Northwest Territories · Nunavut · YukonOther countries FranceCategories:- Museums in Montreal
- Landmarks in Montreal
- Old Montreal
- History of Montreal
- Historic Monuments of Quebec
- History museums in Canada
- Decorative arts museums
- Continental Army
- Buildings and structures completed in 1705
- Official residences in Canada
- Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth
- Université de Montréal
- Museums established in 1894
- Houses in Montreal
- National Historic Sites in Quebec
- Building and structure National Historic Sites of Canada
- French Colonial architecture in Canada
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.